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The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), has declared that Nigeria has defeated terrorists, arguing that the frequency and scale of attacks have significantly declined across the country.
Musa made the assertion on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he said the security situation under President Bola Tinubu had improved considerably.
Responding to a question on whether the military had defeated terrorists or merely pushed them to other locations, the minister said the reduction in major terrorist attacks was evidence of significant progress.
“Frankly speaking we have (defeated terrorists) because now, like I said, the attacks are not as rampant and it is now kidnapping,” Musa said.
He, however, acknowledged that kidnapping remained a major security concern, describing it as a broader social problem that now occurs in different forms.
“Kidnapping is a social ill where you now see wives kidnapping husbands and husbands kidnapping children,” he added.
Musa, a former Chief of Defence Staff, said Nigerians no longer hear frequent reports of major attacks by Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as was previously the case.
“I can tell you there is improved security. Maybe if you noticed, you don’t hear so much of Boko Haram attacks, ISWAP attacks and all these things here and there, maybe one off,” he said.
According to the minister, the pattern of insecurity changes depending on the pressure exerted by security forces on criminal and terrorist groups.
He explained that activities could move from ordinary criminality to kidnapping, terrorism and insurgency, but sustained military action could force the groups back towards less organised forms of criminal activity.
“Now I say, the trajectory is this, from criminality to kidnapping to terrorism, insurgency; once you are able to hit them it goes back downwards and so we are now back into the stage of abductions and kidnappings because that is the easiest way for them to try and raise money,” Musa said.
The minister further disclosed that troops were taking the fight directly to terrorist strongholds and entering their enclaves to disrupt their operations.
He said military operations had also resulted in the recovery of many people abducted by terrorist groups.
Musa’s remarks come amid continued security operations against terrorist and criminal groups across the country, with the government maintaining that sustained military pressure is necessary to prevent terrorists from rebuilding their operational capacity.
